Battleborn: The Devil's Due
by Madnesz23
Summary: In a sudden turn of events, another star had been freed from the Darkening effects of the Varelsi and the Battleborn head in to learn what could be the cause of it. (Leave a comment and I will see what I can do.)
1. C1: The Unexpected Find

_Chapter 1: The Unexpected Find_

Captain Trevor Ghalt was hard at work or should have been, but that was the problem...  
...He had no work to complete...  
With Rendain's death and the Imperium now in the hands of more capable members, the Varelsi have been trying to darken Solus in vain and their surge had started to slow, Kleese even said that their fluxes have lessened even for a bit with the Heliophage's destruction, Solus slowly returned and the Battleborn continued their fight to preserve the Last Star. He continued to go through any reports that came to his attention when the door to his room was knocked and Oscar Mike, one of the clones in the Battleborn, entered and spoke. "Captain Ghalt, I report that everything is under control, sir!"  
"That's good, Mike, but all this quiet is getting on my nerves, I just want some action right now, agreed?" Mike nodded as Ghalt continued to talk. "Still, this is casual, I am hoping that I am not jinxing it..."  
 _"CAPTAIN!"_ Ghalt sighed as Kleese spoke over the intercom of the _Nova_ as the former LLC chairman seemed to be shouting. _"You need to get up here NOW!"_

"Alright, Kleese, I'm on my way." Oscar left as Ghalt headed up to the helm and spoke. "Alright, Kleese, I'm here, so what the heck is..." The Captain stopped short as he entered the helm, Kleese sharply turning as a location on the star grid, a part close by Solus, but had suffered the Darkening before any could touch it...  
...The star of Aronn was clearing up from the dark and revealing more planets needing to be liberated from the power of the monsters...

* * *

The _Nova_ soared in with several other ships as they scouted into the star's sector, the discovery of this clearing star lead the factions to expand out and get a piece from the Varelsi, for the UPR, it is another few bases, the LLC sees the profit from the whole endeavor, the Eldrid a new world to claim as their own, but the Jennerit Imperium and the Rogues are both content with standing idle and seeing what will come up from the feuds. Ghalt was beyond speechless as he saw the wide expense of the Aronn Star and its planets. "How the hell did this system get freed without anyone coming to this place?!"  
"Well, it is completely improbable, but it is possible that the UPR or some other faction may have set some things up before all this whole thing had gone to hell." Kleese said as he worked across the board for any data on Aronn. "Nothing is coming up about this star, if it is real or fake as all hell, but it does appear to be home to six planets, suitable for life among the factions, which is odd as the Vaselsi consume the stars within the darkness, but this one is perfectly fine, pristine to say the very least, Captain." Kleese hovered over to another terminal and continued. "There seems to be a repeating call for aid on the nearest planet, a arid looking landscape from the initial scans of the planets."  
"People could be alive down there..." Ghalt hummed to himself in thought before he called it. "Let's get a team down there to see what could be going on." He looked up and spoke. "Nova?"  
"Yes, Captain Ghalt?"  
"Get Alani, Ambra, Oscar Mike, Whiskey Foxtrot, and Reyna ready, they will be the team checking it out." The ship Magnus agreed as Ghalt looked at the planet that Kleese pointed out, the very surface a sight of sprawling desert and few moving sources of waters as the pods descended to the planet...

* * *

Impact was harsh, but no better than riding in a bucket of bolts that the Rogues often needed to cobble together, but Reyna had to endure it as she kicked off the hatch and breathed in the arid air, barren and hot, but she could get through it as she pulled herself out and looked about as sand was kicked up with Whiskey's pod and the soldier pulled himself out as he scoffed at the place. "And here I thought that Ekkunar's hot zones were hot, this puts them at shame." He rested his Tactical Rifle on his shoulder as Reyna spoke in turn.  
"Well, Ghalt said that there were no structure readings on the planet, so we are going to have to deal with it as it stands." Foxtrot shrugged as Oscar Mike soon joined them, Reyna smirking at the UPR clone as she commented. "I didn't think that Ghalt was so into me to send his faithful soldier-boy into my company."  
"The Captain has full trust in me, but he felt that I could help you out, that and he... was overcoming a cold, he didn't act or look sick to me." Reyna laughed heartily as the clone brother shook his head in amusement as well at Mike's cluelessness at times. The company gathered as Ambra and Alani quickly found them, Alani's posture quieted anger while Ambra was conflicted, not even making her usual quote of 'being superior' as she remained silent in the presence of Alani, Reyna picking up on it, but called for command.  
"Alright, guys, we have to investigate a distress signal that is emitting from somewhere in this sector, so let's get our asses into gear and haul through this desert." All nodded, the clones more displayed while the other girls were merely out of null agreement. They started to run through the dunes as Kleese filled in the chatter.  
"Not that I need to tell you lot what to do, but the mission is to locate an ancient, at best, UPR beacon that is broadcasting across these dunes and be quick about it as the planet seems to be susceptible to heat waves that will severely take you all out if you are not careful!"

"Thanks for the worry, Kleese, but it will be a quick check and head back before you know it!" Reyna said into the comms as they headed further into the desert, the heat bearing hard upon their frames that Reyna was sure that it was no measure of exhaust, but instead of the intense heat that none were quite ready for. They kept going until they stopped short and rested in a cave as Reyna shared her opinion of the desert and her newfound hate of it. "Okay, whose f**king idea was it to make a base, let alone live in this hellish wasteland!?" The commander of the Rogues seemed to snarl while Whiskey was more the calmer pair of heads as Mike just added input.  
"The UPR, they are just sticklers for rules, duty, and valor, this isn't too far from the front to settle on this planet, especially with how Bliss can just freeze you solid if you're not careful." Reyna rolled her eyes, or one eye as the other was hidden behind an eyepatch, as Mike made the comment, of course, they were a bit too patched up with their headstrong duties. Alani and Ambra, though, haven't added a single thought through the early patch of adventure on the planet, the tension between them was VERY solid, enough that Whiskey could have taken it for target practice and it would NOT even dent from either the burst fire or the scrap cannon. "Should we tell them to forget... whatever they have against each other for the mission?"  
"No, they have their baggage, but they could, at the VERY least, focus on the task on hand, I had to stop Miss Sister from hovering too far to the right while Mike here had to stop the monk girl from straying TOO far behind...!" Foxtrot's words cut both of them deep as the three noticed a shutter from them when they were mentioned, the Rogue soldier continuing as his revealed eye kept watch. "Any sightings of indigenous creatures are a bit hazy, this arid landscape is putting up illusions, I can barely catch sight of something moving before it disappears again." Unlike the Swarmers that they battled on Bliss and Ekkunar, the few sightings yielded to arachnid-type creatures, Whiskey personally grimacing that Oscar would lose his mind completely at the sight of those creatures, his fear of spiders too evident that Whiskey himself pitied the younger clone. "We should be on guard, whatever is out there either is hiding in the sands or moving about the dunes."  
"Right, boys and girls, let's find us a UPR beacon." They set out once more into the arid realm before coming to a half-buried piece of outpost and Reyna crouched down as she examined it. "Old UPR tech, but where is the rest of the base?" They looked about for any sign of a large base as Reyna cleared the piece off and then it sparked, Reyna watched as the electric current leapt into her command gauntlet before the sands started to shift, the leader quickly back as the sand in front of them rose up to a UPR type of maintenance hatch for truck-scaled vehicles, the members looking about each other before the clones, hoisting their weapons, walked over and started to pull the way open, the metal yielding to them as Reyna lead the way in, her patch glowing in the dark of the chamber before Oscar and Whiskey activated their own lights and peered about the way, the inside still intact, but the workmanship to the place was not right to be proper as Reyna took it in before finding a switch and, gripping it with her left hand and giving a glance to her allies, she pulled it.

The walls and floor hummed to power as they all watched the whole place lit up to a massive compound and a garage filled with machines and devices as Oscar spoke first. "I know that the Peacekeepers have plenty of bases lost, this is the first time I, hell even the Captain, have ever seen something quite like this."  
"That makes three of us, Mike." Reyna said as they pressed on through the way before the hiss of something was made and they quickly got into combat stances for attack as the hum started to die out to dimmed lighting. "Eyes open, we may be in trouble."  
"Hardly, with my brightness, we will prevail!" Ambra spoke for the longest while, Alani giving a scowl as the Silent Sister continued. "We merely need to find this threat and destroy it before it causes us such issue, though it would be hardly a challenge for me!" She laughed heartily as, unbeknownst to them, something rose up and started to move toward them. "Now, we need not fear some creatures in this place, we merely need to..." All too late, Oscar Mike spotted the threat and readied his rifle as he shouted.  
"WATCH OUT!" Ambra was swiftly slammed to the side, the snap of bone evident as she landed in a pile of rubble as Alani quickly turned to address the threat, only for her head to be grabbed by something, lifting her up in her struggle as the clones' lights quickly went to the attacker, something else entirely as its size was large, height matching up to either Montana or a Bulwark Minion, it's armor was the least of the problem as mounted on the underside of two, cylindered arms of four digits were old nozzles, but the sound and the glow was not old as Reyna shouted.  
"Focus on my target!" She fired a lock-on shot from the gauntlet, lighting up a joint of the massive foe and the clones took the shot, barraging the piece before it shattered, releasing Alani and Whiskey dashing up to pull the girl over to their position, the pair still fighting as they brought time for Whiskey to get Alani back from shock.

"I don't care about your issues, but we have a threat, so focus on getting Ambra back up and ALIVE, I need to help my commander and brother out!" The Eldrid nodded as she glided over and pulled Ambra from the rubble as Foxtrot fired his grenades and scrap cannon at the behemoth, adding to the damage that the commander and the fellow clone have done to it, the bone mending and the Jennerit started to breath again as she slowly got up again, Alani relieved, but that also drew another to the Ambra's return as the mechanical goliath now brushed off the fire with a deployed riot shield and charged through the party, Alani quickly using her powers, her tattoos glowing in the dark as she surged it out against the machine as she struggled to hold it back. Before the machine could swing to bash Alani out of the way, Whiskey came to the rescue as he jumped and fired his cannon into the behemoth's remaining arm joint, it getting destroyed as the juggernaut toppled backward, the other two rushing over as Whiskey spoke. "Are you two okay?"  
"I would have been dead if not for... Alani..." Ambra slowly got up with Reyna's help as the Sister looked at the monk. "I guess my arrogance got the best of me this time, correct?" Alani shook her head as she returned to healing.  
"Not this time, we have our own issues, but I am not letting a Battleborn... a friend fall here, okay?" Both nodded as Reyna called.  
"Ghalt, we found a UPR facility, but its design is older than any, we need a short pick-up, something here attacked us and may have severely harmed Ambra."  
"Copy, I am coming down with the relief, standby." Soon, the sand started to get kicked up as the _Nova_ settled for a short moment and the first Battleborn stepped on down as Ambra was carefully loaded onto Nova before Ghalt spoke, shouldering his shotgun. "Now, let's see what attacked our members." They walked over to the machine as the Captain gave a small whistle. "That is some old tech right there, I never did think one was even active."

"Captain Ghalt?" Oscar Mike asked as his superior continued, Reyna and Foxtrot listening as well while Alani was tending to Ambra, being field medic while Miko was full-time doctor, his position often switched with Beatrix who, despite her behavior during the post-war of Rendain's crusade, was actually a reliable doctor.  
"It's an Drakmore Exo Chassis, a assault frame, much like Caldarius, but it was built to tank massive blows and counter with the same force, but the weapons are Phoenix-class Igniters, well capable of melting down the strongest of metals." Ghalt rubbed his jaw as he continued. "An odd combo of a machine, but these types of chassis were more of a LLC construct, back when they were still part of the Peacekeepers, what the hell is it doing here?"  
"Only one way to find out, Ghalt." Reyna said as she walked over and crouched, reaching over to the faceplate and gripped, finding it tight on before Ghalt helped out and started to pull it off from the joint before it was removed and all quickly drew back as the face of a person, eyes closed, was breathing under a respirator, flakes of frost coating their face as both the commanders looked at each other. "We need to look into this more." Ghalt nodded as he spoke.  
"Oscar, Foxtrot, get Montana and Toby in here and get this thing into the ship and keep an eye on this, Reyna and me will be investigating the rest of this place with Kleese, tell him to get his hover chair down here." Both soldiers saluted as they headed into the ship and soon, both heavy-lifters hauled the machine in with Kleese pausing for a moment and joining the two in the search, the base was somehow activated by remote presence of living beings, but the base were filled with the fallen of Thrall, Peacekeeper, and some Varelsi masks which meant one thing...

* * *

"Oh, a new patient, why was I not informed?" Beatrix walked or more like skipped over to the operating table as she grinned her fiendish smile as Miko returned the comment.  
"The Captain didn't mention this one, we had taken it upon ourselves to tend to the being's life, despite their near-attempt to harm friend Ambra." Beatrix's smile slipped to scowl as she turned to the being, plans to harm already forming before she took a moment to address the figure, peeled out of an ancient assault frame with their body changed with metal and systems and a respirator exchanged with an oxygen mask to keep the figure breathing, but she could tell that it was not easing the discomfort one bit. Beatrix approached Miko and offered her hand, the Eldrid looking at it as she spoke.  
"Let me do what I can, you have other duties for now." Miko hesitated as it looked between the being and the Jennerit before it gave a small sigh, giving the scalpel it had on hand to Beatrix.  
"Very well, but we would not advise you how to approach this." The being walked out, the door sealing as Beatrix turned and started to work, working around the period to find the parts that didn't fit in and were harming the figure more than needed as she continued, peeling layers of parts and ruined flesh as she soon turned to the ship terminal and spoke.  
"Nova, can you get a number of materials for me?"

"Sure thing, Physician Beatrix, what do you require?"  
"A tri-applied respirator, pieces of a full kit, some flexible, but strong metal plates and sheets, several caches of components, and..." The list went on as Nova noted it all down and passed the order down to the armory and storage bays for the things as the creator of the Thralls worked her magic on this new being and to see if she could get them breathing again, a dead body would only fill up these rooms if it was left unattended and without the proper reasoning as to why the attack on her aunt...


	2. C2: A Short Confrontation

_Chapter 2: A Short Confrontation_

The being quickly sprung up in shock, finding themselves in someplace else as they stumbled to the floor, knocking a table of medical equipment before they paused for a moment and pulled themselves together as they pulled their legs toward and hugged them in the silence before looking about and getting up again, slowly as their legs felt unnatural before their snuck their way past the corridors and into an armory, finding their large-scale frame and crouched down, running a hand on the material before nodding to it and dragging to a workbench and began to remake the frame in a series of fixes, updates, and reworks as another soon found them and quickly headed back to find aid...

* * *

"...a change if we had a basic understanding of what we could learn." Ghalt had called for a meeting, Mellka, Deande, and Kleese taking part as the UPR section of the Battleborn spoke his piece while Reyna was messing with her hair. "This Exo frame was a mere myth among the UPR of a division that experimented with heavy hardware and weaponry, some even saying that it was the base of mechanized soldiers."  
"But you said that this star was darkened before any of us got to Solus, at least that was what Kleese guessed." Mellka said with a wave of her bio arm as it returned to her small hug in thought. "The Codex didn't say anything about such things, if it did, then it would have been forever ago in history."  
"There is another fact that concerns me, Captain." Deande mused in worry as she had a hand to her jaw and the other to her hip. "From what Miss Reyna said, the machine, in the short time, targeted Ambra with its attack and grabbed Alani, its weapons being primed before it gunned for Ambra once more with Foxtrot stopping it short with both its arms gone, correct?" Mellka got the gist quick.  
"You think that the operator was targeting Ambra on purpose?"  
"It is possible, I need to get a proper explanation to the action before I can figure it out more." Suddenly, Galilea rushed in panic, panting as she spoke.

"Commanders, the pilot is awake... and is reworking their machine." Kleese was first to speak on the subject.  
"Impossible, that must be decades of work to be done to get that husk of a machine moving again!"  
"I don't know, but the pair of Rogues were heading down there to get their gear, regardless of what was happening in the armory." Reyna quickly stood up and dashed through the way as Ghalt spoke.  
"Get everyone prepped in the sub-armory, this could get messy!" Galilea nodded as Kleese, Mellka, and Deande followed her while Ghalt chased Reyna down the way to stop her from doing something dangerous...

* * *

"This is foolish..."  
"Don't be like that, Aurox." Shayne smiled as she strolled on into the armory, to check her various boomerangs. "Galilea was probably just trying to fool us into hiding in some corner and cry ourselves, nothing short of the Varelsi is going to break us, buddy." The Guayota placed a claw over his face as he sighed at the girl's lack of fear.  
"That is not what I meant, now that you have looked at your 'collection', can we..." Aurox stopped when the shift of metal caught his ear and he turned to look, searching for the sound as Shayne continued her survey before smiling and stepping back.  
"There we go, we are all..." The sound returned and Shayne snapped around in search as well. "What the hell was that, there shouldn't be anyone else here!"  
"Like Galilea 'said'!?" Both looked at each other before getting into combat form and Shayne lead the way as they looked about the racks and stands for the source, Aurox keeping his eyes open before he pulled Shayne out of the way as something crushed through the rack of Oscar Mike's equipment, a helmet rolled before it was crushed underfoot as a mechanized being stepped from the destruction and seemed to eye both with a regular eye and something that could be work as a scanner. "Shayne, brace yourself!" The teen did so as her companion put up a guard when the reworked arms, tri-nozzles in the palms of the cylinders, suddenly blasted jets of flames at them, the sheer heat searing Shayne before the heat disappeared and the machine overheated its jets. The teen wanted to attack while they can, but she quickly noticed that Aurox's body was seared far worse than what he was ready for, his arms shaking as they were glowing red as she felt the surge of pain from him. "Shayne... I can't... the pain..."

"Come on, let's get out of here NOW!" She quickly cloaked and started to run from the exit as Aurox tried to nurse his new burns, but nothing was working, but that was quickly out of her mind as the being turned and pointed, firing a fireball that burned through her jeans, dispute her clock, and stomped toward them as her leg was now subjected to second-degree burns in a quick matter, both needing a miracle, just as one did, the machine's arm grabbed by a familiar hook and they looked to find Ghalt from the other door, his trademark revolver shotgun in hand.  
"Step away from my team, they are not yours to hurt." The machine tried to pull Ghalt close, but the Firstborn didn't let it happen as he pulled hard, toppling the mech to the floor as Reyna ran over and lifted Shayne up, Aurox floating in pain as more Battleborn came into the room, the spy mistress the last of the four reinforcements that the eyes shifted from blue to yellow and it willingly charged into Ghalt, shoulder check him and using his energy hook to slam him into Montana, toppling both for a bit as Toby and Mellka jumped in and tried to hold the monster in place as Deande quickly struck, her Blink Storm slamming into the machine before it toppled forward, Mellka and Toby dodging out of the way as the battle was over quicker than expected. "Well, that... could have gone better." Ghalt rolled his head and shook it as he got up, Montana pushing up from the metal as the band gathered around it. "Galilea said that the pilot was on their feet, but how the hell did they managed to get this far and rig up a battle suit in such short time?"  
"Maybe we should crack it open, see what the hell thinks it's good to fight the Battleborn." Mellka readied her bio blade, but just before she could stab it, the mech moved, grabbing her leg and hanging her upside down as she shouted, the others ready for battle once more. "Put me down, you bucket of bolts!"  
"...Eldrid..." The voice came out mechanical, deep, and rumbling. "Part-Aplian, part-Aelfrin... records do not recognize current Eldrid." Mellka thought quick as she shouted.  
"I am the 95th Red Observer, Mellka Hyenyota!" The mech thought about it before it dropped her on the ground and stumbled back, falling to the ground as it was at a loss. Mellka grimaced as she turned to Ghalt. "I think I broke them."

"Database at fault... current state of Lothar Rendain...!?" The band looked at each with unease before Ghalt spoke first.  
"Rendain's gone, we opened a portal right on him and his scheme to plunge the Last Star of Solus into darkness." The mech started to shut down, the arms falling to the sides as they started to hear... sobbing, Ghalt putting his weapon down as he crouched down and spoke. "Hey... are you okay...?"  
"All these years... and they are all dead, my friends, my allies, my target, and now my mission..." The sobbing continued as Deande ran a hand along her arm as Montana adjusted his hat and left with a sigh, Mellka following the big guy while Toby set out to find his team, the being inside continuing in grief." Please... put me out of my misery... I have nothing to work for..." Ghalt paused as he looked at his weapon, but Deande strode right up and held her hand onto the Peacekeeper's wrist as she shook her head before getting to the side and knelt down.  
"Hear me out, if you are willing." The yellow lens looked at Deande, both staring as the yellow faded to blue.  
"Spymaster Deande, right-hand of Lothar Rendain, secret manager of the Thrall Rebellions and liberator of the Kemessian, Caldarius, your actions mark you as a 'reasonable' Jennerit." The figure sighed as it turned back to the open doorway. "What a strange mix of members here, are the Battleborn truly the best that could save the stars or are the factions really stupid to just think that victory is won by their lonesome?" The sigh came again as it turned to look at the Jennerit. "Do you have anything that could ease my soul?"

"I was thinking of opening up something of a therapy treatment, it could help in ease the burdens of all abroad this ship." The mech stood up with Deande and Ghalt as the Captain lead the way.  
"Just follow us and we can get you set up for the first session." The being nodded as it followed them through while Ghalt was thinking of any ways to repair the damages that the figure had caused in the armory, even the loss of one of Oscar's helmets...


	3. S1: Alexander Tusken

_Session 1: Alexander Tusken_

* * *

 **Official Transcript between former spymaster of the Jennerit Imperium, Deande, and the unnamed individual called Being for this session, later knew as 'Alexander Tusken'. Audio log attached.**

 **(Beginning of recorded session)**  
 **Deande:** Welcome to my office, now could you... come out of your armor?  
 **Being:** I... Yes, I can, just a moment.  
 **(Hissing sound before feet stepped onto the metal flooring, the tone metal)**  
 **Being:** I... just feel... more safer in my armor, Ma'am.

 **Deande:** No doubt about it, but I can't seat a hefty mech suit in my chairs, so we have to settle with this. Take a seat, if you will.  
 **Being:** Yes, Ma'am.  
 **Deande:** You have a sense of personal responsibility, I would question you about your training, but that would not be the role of the session here.  
 **Being:** Of course, Ma'am.  
 **Deande:** Now, tell me, you were subject as the attacker of Battleborn personnel, what caused this behavior?

 **(Small shuffle before Deande spoke again)**  
 **Deande:** if you don't want to talk about it, then I can not fault you, but you must understand that they were trusted members among the company here, despite their history.  
 **Being:** Indeed, the Silent Sister Ambra and the girl with her bonded Guayota ally, neither even realizing that their link had become more than semi.  
 **(The sound of writing stopped)**  
 **Deande:** Hold on, what do you mean by 'semi', they are... Don't do that, that was a complete subject change.

 **Being:** But, it must also surprise people that, due to the Guayota species' hostile behavior, it is also shocking that something like this is a rare occurrence, threats may be exchanged between Guayota and subject, but anything that could be keeping the creature with the host would also be affecting the subject, in worst-case situations, it's like removing a puzzle piece, you lose that piece, the puzzle will never be complete and that opens up with ill-effects in the long run.  
 **Deande:** ...Can you focus on this session, please?  
 **Being:** Oh, sorry...  
 **Deande:** Back to the matter at hand, you attacked one of the Battleborn and almost killed her.  
 **Being:** She was a Jennerit...

 **Deande:** Explain that to me, if you can.  
 **Being:** With Rendain's actions, any Jennerit was viewed as... an enemy, I was not too fond of the order or commands that said so, but with the unease and tensions back before I... well, I was driven by duty, but that could have been a side-effect from my preserved identity inside my initial machine.  
 **Deande:** And how long were you on the desert...  
 **Being:** The moon was called Bogmire IV, for its planetary rotation around the initial planet that was littered with swamp and disease, so my division settled on the moon and colonized it for our plans, but that was a problem as we were operating outside standard United Peacekeeping Republic command and we were more like... 'let's build war machines to crush Rendain, we don't need any other faction!', I can see that plan went up in flame, put out and someone threw in a seed to grow something out of it.  
 **(A sigh came out)**

 **Deande:** You are full of knowledge, it would seem, but why attack the pair in the armory?  
 **Being:** I had finished working on my new armor as it had seen too much time to work properly, geared up and wanted to leave as I thought there would be more Jennerit coming to get me, but my sensors went off and I confronted the pair, though it was saying they were Jennerit, I wasn't sure about it, but I was not all that good with guesses and moved to attack.  
 **Deande:** Then you must realize that you only actually attacked Ambra, one of the few Jennerits of the Battleborn and the pair in the armory were Shayne and Aurox, they are from the Rogue Faction.  
 **Being:** Rogue?  
 **Deande:** They have either lived their lives in Solus or fled there among the other misfits, renegades, and criminals, forming the Rogue Faction, some once a part of the UPR or the Eldrid.

 **(A masked sigh came out as the being slid forward)**  
 **Being:** Aye aye aye, my armor needs some SEVERE work if I am going to be wandering again.  
 **Deande:** Don't worry about wandering, we would gladly take you on as a Battleborn... provided that you make some amends to the crew and Nova, who must be listening in...  
 **Nova:** Hello.  
 **Deande:** ...Damn it...

 **Being:** ...Would it not do to have a Magnus listening in, I mean... it is not like we can Order her Two mind our private quarters Four a bit, even the Access would be invading our own thoughts at Regular times.  
 **Deande:** ...What did you...?  
 **Nova:** ...ACCESS CODE ACCEPTED, UPR OVERRIDE CODE ZERO-TWO-FOUR IN EFFECT.  
 **Being:** ...Well, crap.  
 **(End of recording session)**

* * *

 **(Resume of recording session)  
Deande:** Well, that just happened, you have just unleashed a Magnus lockdown upon us all.  
 **Being:** How the hell was I suppose to know that the ship Magnus was still using an old LLC coding measure to keep her running, the lockup and data stream often tells a lot more of a Magnus.  
 **Deande:** ...I would not jump to the belief that you are commenting on Nova's... unique behavior and position on this ship, but if I did...  
 **Being:** Right... sorry.

 **Deande:** Still, this tells much about you, you have mechanical skills in your blood?  
 **Being:** Been there from age five, got rigged up at nineteen, but the pieces and parts were meant to ensure my life's safety, not really, REALLY threaten it, some of those guys in the engineering corp were more fidget than work, hell, I even got to take apart a Viper, put it back together, and make it look and feel a WHOLE lot better and with a better handling than those goofs.  
 **Deande:** ...You... took apart a Viper!?  
 **Being:** Is... that a shock...?  
 **Deande:** ...I... need a moment, we can continue this session later and with better focus.

 **(End of recording session)**

* * *

Ghalt was on his way to the living quarters when Deande soon came out of the room that she had designated as her theapy chambers, holding a small list in hand before she sighed. "Bad time with the new guy?"  
"Something like that, Captain..." The spy mistress mused as she took a moment and then spoke. "In the few moments with him, he had managed to severely throw me off, he appears to be well-versed with his knowledge, mechanical engineering the core of his being, but that... is only a brief give of his abilities."  
"Come on, it can't be too bad. Let's give him a chance, I do have a small mission that he could partake in." Ghalt sighed as he moved past the spy mistress before touching the door. "if it really bothers you, then you can make another attempt of cracking the guy open, 'kay?" Deande, having paused to listened, nodded before she headed back to her room. Ghalt entered to the room and leaned against the frame as the individual was working on the exosuit and really took in his new appearance. His legs were replaced with sizable metal legs and his right arm was replaced with metal to the elbow while the left hand was metal. The chest was transfixed with an advanced life system and plating with his lower mouth was covered with the new respirator as the chest under the UPR uniform heaved and panted. The captain shook his head as he spoke. "Hey... you got a name or did Deande fail to get you to say?"  
"Nay, she didn't ask for my name, I was throwing her off for a bit." He got back into the machine and it sealed up, the eyes lighting up as the machine stood up. "If you have no reason to hold me here..."  
"Trust me, I got a mission, if you are willing to join in it." Ghalt gestured the mech to follow as the pair headed to the briefing room when Kleese nodded before speaking.

"Welcome back, Captain and 'mystery soldier', it looks to be we are ready despite Deande's moment of pause." The old man rolled his eyes as he activated the holomap and brought up a section of the Detritus Ring. "Now, I believe your fearless Valkyrie has something to say."  
"Screw you too, Kleese, this is a matter of worry." Reyna scowled as she turned back to the map. "It had almost passed my attention, but one of the pirate 'lords' called Regular Maw had been assembling a sizable force to take control of the Ring with Rendain's defeat, now believing that he has a chance to take over." Reyna wore a grimace as she spoke. "My Rogues would have to deal with this, but considering how badly hurt my power pair were..."  
"I'll do it..." The being spoke without a pause as the members looked at it as it looked up. "Even if it is not Rendain or the Varelsi, a lack of unity could be more damaging in the long run than a simple incursion, give me a place to strike."  
Reyna huffed in a playful tone. "Well, you're eager, but let's see what you can do." Reyna detailed a further detail where a shipyard was evident on the piece of asteroid. "Good news, Maw still has his followers gathered up, bad news is that they could be preparing for any attacks to break it up, I expect any aid that you are provide in the long haul, alright, kid?"  
"Let's focus on entry, Reyna." Ghalt said as he charted a path on the wider portion. "We can't risk a frontal assault, we would be torn apart without mercy, we need to approach this with caution."

"I know of one route..." Reyna sighed as she pointed at it, a narrow path in-between the floating rocks. "It is called the Tyrant's Trench and it is known as the suicide run among us Rogues..."


	4. M1: The Alliance

_Mission 1: The Alliance_

* * *

The small shuttle flew through the series of asteroids as the Rogues often spared a glance to the mechanical being, Shayne and Aurox doing it more as Reyna explained the situation while Pendles handled flying with Toby doing his best to keep the makeshift vessel from crashing too much. "We need to defuse this issue quickly before the Rogues start to break down as well, we already have issues with the UPR's own battles and their failed methods along with the LLC."  
"Yeah, like they could do a lot worse than what Captain Ghalt had to surrender for the Battleborn." Whiskey Foxtrot mused as his revealed eye stared about the members. "But, I have got to admit, I didn't think we were going to use the Trench to get in on a rebel Rogue."  
"Neither did I, but Maw's paranoia has been the bane of all the Rogues before Rendain's little attempt, now he has free range to try a number of dangerous methods." Reyna shook her head as she caught the pair's daily glances at the individual. "Yeah, I know, the guy is not worth joining us, but this request came on such short notice and, if he doesn't help out, then you are free to throw him to the airlock or to Aurox, whatever." The creature growled while the teen huffed with crossed arms as Pendles spoke.  
"We've coming up on the outpost, get your knacks together and get ready for action!" Most of them nodded as they primed up and Pendles quickly got his kamas out as the ship made a sharp turn and came to a screeching halt as rounds pounded into the hull and the Rogues quickly unloaded into the fray, bashing their way through the ranks of Rogues that followed Maw's interests with the mech merely cleaning up the mess before they soon arrived to the midway when they had to protect a security node from incoming forces of Rogues and Minions that were somehow taken and reprogramed to fight for them. The Battleborn Rogues soon dashed in, before finding themselves in a trap as the Maw spoke.  
"Welcome, great leader or should I say 'former' leader?!"

"Maw, you get down here and take your punishment like an actual Rogue!" The ways closed as a burly Rogue, armed with a empowered battle-axe leapt down and gave a dead look at the band. "You coward!"  
"Better to see the great commander fall before my greatest champion!" The intercoms boomed the gnarly voice around them as Shayne and Aurox tried to fight the brute, succeeding in besting the brute for the best of time when Aurox quickly tried to cover his ears with Shayne doing the same in pain with a strange sound ringing out across the whole place, the brute delivering a heel-kick into the teen, causing her to cough up blood as she skid across the rocky ground. "You are powerless without your precious monster, whelp, let's see how it breaks!" Aurox was quickly snatched up and the effect was angst for both mentor and monster as Aurox's body was started to get pulled, cracks webbing out as Shayne tried to stifle her newfound pain as the others were quickly overwhelmed by more goons, tears actually falling as Shayne cried out.  
"Someone, save Aurox!" The mech tossed its band of thugs and stomped straight for the brute before delivering a devastating uppercut, breaking the hold on the monster and letting it return to Shayne as she fainted from the pain with Aurox trying to cover her as best as he could as the mech spoke.  
"Hands off the creature, they are beings as well."  
"Time to break little toy then!" The brute tried to grip the mech frame when he quickly withdrew from some form of intense heat, but not fast enough as the machine grabbed the thug's head and it's eyes stared into the man's soul.

"You best pray that whatever god capable to bring people back is willing, I am not so lenient!" The warning came too late as fire scorched the thug's head in a pyre of flames before being released with a lack of it before the figure looked up, its lens turning orange as the being sneered. "Coward to leave his own to fight a battle so easily, that is NO commander I would follow." The bottoms of the feet extended out and the being had half the mind to give chase before they returned to normal and it dashed over to the pair and lifted Shayne up, Aurox resting on the shoulder plating as the mech spoke. "I'll get Shayne to the shuttle, we are going to wait on you Rogues to get it done!"  
"No can do, big guy, I am not leaving you alone with my crew... not yet, any way." Reyna quickly turned to Toby and the Finisci Aviant nodded as the two were taken into Berg's arms and the mech headed back to the ship as Reyna walked up to the individual and pointed a finger. "I don't trust you yet, so you are lucky that I still have need of your skills, otherwise I would have rejected the idea of Ghalt letting you on."  
"...That is fine..." Reyna paused as the individual spoke. "I don't exactly want redemption, I have been on the edge for a bit and likely to still be on the edge, I want my skills used as they are seen, to strike and bring things down before they get too dangerous for the others, if I can't earn that trust, then I would never have a place among rogues of systems." Reyna withdrew her finger and turned as she scoffed.  
"I don't know about you, cap, but my money's on the mech suit over Maw's rubbish ideas." Pendles smirked as Whiskey was silent as they charged further into the compound before they arrived to a large arena when the Maw's anger boiled over.  
"You think you know what's the best course, Valkyrie, but here, YOU play by MY rules, and I will start with your pitiful toy soldier!" Suddenly, a large mech suit dropped from the top, the Maw inside it, his gnarled bread only matched with insanity-driven eyes. "Time to send the trash packing!" A mal-created fist pulled back and took a swing, only for the UPR armor to sidestep and grip the arm as it used an unbelievable amount of strength to hold the bruiser tight while the main weapon, a large gatling cannon starting to ready up, as the individual spoke, the difference in size not turning his tone.

"You are a low-born, moronic, waste of space, you think that you can just turn your back on your commanding officer, I don't care what the Rogues do in their chain of command." With such force, the Rogue mech was thrown overhead and slammed to the ground as the individual spoke. "I have dealt with renegade elements before, you make my standards drop SO much lower, now bring your taunts and get ready to BACK! THEM! UP!" What followed was a clash of mechanical armor as the gun soon came up, but was quickly forced down as the UPR armor wrestled for control, something impossible as the Rogue mech outweighed, outgun, and outsize him by all standards, but that did not turn him way as the bullets soon followed to impact into the large-scale shield that was quickly used as a ram, buckling the left knee as Maw scowled.  
"Get out of my way, weakling!" A swing nearly sent the armor flying, but it did not budge as it's jet thrusters were soon used and started to topple the mech, another hit knocking the armor off as he shouted. "I am not done!" Makeshift shield generators emerged from the flooring and the Rogues quickly took action as they started to channel their energy to him.  
"Get those generators, Rogues!" Whiskey fired and destroyed one with his burst fire while Pendles and Orendi destroyed another with the last one exposed to the fireball-rounds from the mech, the protective shielding disrupted as the Maw roared.  
"ENOUGH OF THIS, I WILL END THIS NOW!" Hastily converting the power that it managed to collect, the front of the mech opened up and Reyna's eye widened as she started to channel her protective power.  
"Nobody's dying today!" The violet hue of the barrier shield glowed as the core discharge beam drilled into the barrier as both sides stared at each other before the armor mech asked the obvious question.

"So what did you use for the core discharge or did you forget that specific modifications are the difference between life and death?" Maw's face slowly twisted to fear as the beam, initially using a orange flare of color with its power, slowly turned to green as the being inside smiled. "A corrupted Yuelian core, saw that from a mile away, suitable for long-term combat, but is liable to explode when used in a core discharge, its effects an acidic substance that can easily melt through titanium armor."  
"Son of a Vaselsi Srav..." The explosion filled the arena as the barrier protected them for the longest time as the smoke started to clear and they all looked to see the body, or better the skeleton, of Maw trapped in the now-devastated frame, its parts still burning with acid. Reyna sighed as the barrier faded away.  
"One of my greatest competitors and he dies without even feeling my wrath." The commander turned to the mech as she inquired. "So, how did you know that the core was no good?"  
"I have dealt with Yuelian cores and other types of cores during my time before sleeping." The mech wheeled its arm as it continued. "The most common use for Yuelian cores are classified as tank and heavy battery gun cells, it is a lesser use to use in a bipedal mech, but the REAL cons is if you try to use a Yuelian in a core discharge, the core can't take that kind of stress and will explode, though the effects could have been a LOT worse, trust me on that." Reyna rolled her eyes as she motioned everyone back to the ship, with the Maw's death and his forces shattered, the Rogues quickly reformed back up as the Battleborn headed back to the ship...

* * *

"Good job, Reyna, The Ring is in your debt and seem to be forming back up, though I am surprised that you didn't try to take Maw in, he could have been useful... in a demented way."  
The Rogue leader shook her head as she returned the chat, the mech being worked on in a separate room. "As much as they could have happened, I wasn't the one who was dealing out the damage, the mech guy that you sent with us has quite the detailed influence, it knew the type of core and how to strike with extreme disarmament in mind, without him, we could have lost Aurox."  
"Great, another crazy fool to our cause." Kleese slumped in his seat as Mellka glared at him before speaking.  
"Ghalt said that he said some things during Deande's little session, Deande can also testify to that fact, any idea on his words?" Reyna glanced to the side before she looked back to the group.  
"He's smart, I'll give him that, but he is also a bit of a hothead, he looked ready to fight the Maw one-on-one if he didn't have the self-restraint to help out, he also seems cocky in his mech, like he can't be touched."

"He must then rely on a persona for both sides." Deande said as she spoke in thought with the other members of their small council. "He is meek, fearful, but highly willing to express his intelligence on a level that we can all understand him on as well as his own wit and thought without the armor; in the exo-suit, he is bold, confident, is more than willing to fight, but understands that he is not some bullet magnet we can throw..."  
"So far, looking at his weaponry in the brief times he has either engaged us or with us, he has been using flamethrowers that could be used until they need to vent or blast fire bolts and get a pause of flames before the next ones." Ghalt thought about it as the rest listened. "Armor plating along both arms appear to be able to extend out like shields, but that has yet to be tested, but further more, I had noticed the jets that were grafted into the leg structure of the exoframe, it could easily close the gap or quickly withdraw with ease and sections of the armor has some sort of reflective material, perhaps it is meant to be additional armor that can be activated, like an overshield." Ghalt paused as he spoke. "If anything else, I'd say that the kid has a long way to go, but he has the guts and belief to fill in the gaps, we just need to keep an eye on him... for now..."

* * *

The youth worked on his exo-suit as he detailed several things, going over the parts and components with ease. "The Gamma-Type IV 'Purger' frame surpassed all close-combat tests in strength, mobility, and firepower, unconfirmed ability against Varelsi targets, may require trial run to ensure full ability." The youth entered the frame and it locked up behind him as he moved the mech. "This is still functional, lower joint of the leg is not geared properly from rogue club to joint, need to repair." He set it up again in the rig before stepping out, it opening and closing again as the youth breathed in his rebreather as he returned to the clipboard. "'Promethium' Flame Casters still operating at eighty percent, still valid for full usage of frame and weapons, however, 'Mag-Grad' jet-propulsion lifts unused in latest mission, must correct and adjust based on performance given chance." He went about correcting some more measures and the countermeasures before the door slid open to the duo of Rogues, Shayne walking over with hands in her pockets while Aurox just hovered with some bandages before they posed several feet from the working mechanic, but before Shayne could say something, the door opened once more to the ship's Jennerit doctor who calmly walked over, past the duo, with a creepy grin before she spoke.  
"So, how is your new parts and filters?" The youth stopped short before putting the wrench down and glancing to Beatrix.  
"Operation fully mobile and capable, thanks in order for..." The youth shook his head before he spoke again. "Sorry, technical mode has a way of screwing up my speech and wording, I am doing a lot better now, I thank you... if you are the doctor who performed the life-saving surgery on me."  
"Oh, don't be so dramatic, after all..." Beatrix rested on a hand on the youth's face, something Shayne wasn't taking too well, as a finger slid down to the throat. "It would not be right if I were to miss out on the murder of my AUNT'S attacker..." Silence filled the armory as the Rogues prepared to fight, to stop Beatrix from killing the guy, but he slowly took the mechanical hand and straightened up, Beatrix's demeanor waiving as the young man spoke.  
"Your aunt wouldn't happen to be Claudia Ambralia Divia, would she?" Both parties winced, no one EVER says Ambra's full name in risk of her coming straight for them and roasting them for some time. Beatrix nodded as the young man released her hand and nodded. "Then that makes you Beatrix F. Lucavi, creator of the Thralls, and a skilled physician to meet." Without warning, the young man went about Beatrix's being like a vulture. "Jennerit-model 'Twilight' cybernetic augmentations to see here, but not the best in the long run as some of these replacements and changes could easily render an member quite strained from ill-proper alignments, fixes, and it is deadly to use with the 'Incistyx' Injector fitted like this." Within seconds of talking and detailing, he had successful dismantled the Injector straight from Beatrix's right shoulder and started to work on a replacement arm for her as the Injector shut down and went silent. "Operational exchange possible, given proper amount of time, materials, and cooperation for mechanical operation for full fit and repair to mend both mind and soul in long term, projected timeframe for project is..." Beatrix, without any word, swung her remaining left arm and clubbed the young man in the head, thudding into the worktable and sending things flying as he shook his head again and spoke. "Thanks, I needed that..."

Beatrix posed her hand on her hip as she glared the young man down. "What gives you the right to touch my gear, let alone me!?"  
"Sorry, my fault, I get too into machines and tech that I lose myself in trying to get things together properly so that no injures or pain can surge from the work and operation." He shook his head as he stood back up, having slid down to the floor from the impact. "Sorry for doing that to you without permission, most people don't really care about what I do with their gear."  
The point of Beatrix's visit was forgotten as she strode right up to the young man, speaking inches from his face. "But that is a custom weapon that I have long used in the field, it is not just an idle toy to trifle with!"  
"So... you're say that you were not initially enduring surges of pain from the arms and legs from the Twilight parts interfering with your own body's growth and/or development?" Beatrix stopped in amuse as the young man turned back around, working on a mirror image of the left arm. "I thought as much, the Twilight model's predecessor, the 'Eclipse' cybernetic parts, are quite remembered to drive victims and patients mad from bouts of pain and anger from ill-fitted repairs, the fall of Penarch only helped phase out the Eclipse for better frames, but only a few know of the parts."  
"...Where have you been all my life..." Shayne couldn't take it anymore as she crossed the threshold and pulled Beatrix away.

"Listen up, Bea, I came here to talk and I am not going to let you flirt your way into his heart, are we clear!?"  
"Shayne, please..." Beatrix mused with her smile once more. "I can flirt, as you so nicely said, all I want, I just mean to be a lot closer than what you were wanting in a relationship, you still have a crush on the penguin, remember?" Aurox sighed as he floated over and watched the young man work as Beatrix continued. "I'd say you and Miss Orendi have a long way to go before you can call anyone your 'significant other'." Shayne started to growl as Beatrix returned it with a displeased hum before the work complete and the young man walked on over and, splitting the two apart with ease, tampered with Beatrix's mechanical parts and fixed the arm into place.  
"There, now you have two arms and hands to work your operations with, but for now, I suggest that you move along and tell Miss Ambra that I wish to formally apologize for my behavior, there is no denying that I had attacked without valid reason, could you?" Beatrix was perplexed as she raised a finger to speak, repeated the action several times before grabbing her Injector and heading back to the medical bay as the young man turned to Shayne. "Miss Shayne, if you would be so kindly, not intervene on matters like that, I am responsible for my own actions and I have need to mend such things before they spiral out of control, it is not going to be easy for I am... anti-social to say the least, but it is well deserved before we can proceed with other endeavors... Also, I am not looking for romance... my lungs are not quite that strong for any uncovered contact." Within those words, Shayne and Aurox were either forced out or sent out as the door shut again, both raising a brow before Aurox spoke.  
"Quite the colorful character that one is..." Shayne sighed as they leave the place alone for the time being, clearly nothing to gain from just watching some guy work on his suit...


	5. C3: Wolves in the Murk

_Chapter 3: Wolves in the Murk_

* * *

Soon, the operation of the Nova was returned to normal a bit, except the inclusion of the mech pilot, Alexander Tusken, as he wandered the halls of the Nova and took unique cautions to avoid the others, but Ghalt and Deande made it a point to be involved with him to ease him in, the trio sitting in the cafeteria as Alexander was out and the members could tell that he was not people material as Deande and Ghalt often made a comment and he just shook his head or nodded in silence, neither pushing it too much, but the banter was getting on the nerve of some as Montana adjusted his cap. "Hey, why are we not over there, talking to the little guy?"  
"Because Ghalt thinks that Tusken has to be eased slowly in, given some anti-social BS." Mellka spoke as she crossed her arms. "We don't have time to babysit a wimp, we have to deal with the Varelsi and find out how this star managed to return from the dark."  
"Come on, Mellka, give him a break, this is a lot to take, you were raised an awesome fighter, he's a guy out of time and place here." Mellka groaned as the chat continued at the table, Alexander poking his food with unease as he briefly removed his mask and ate, replacing the mask back as Ghalt spoke.  
"Can you tell me or Deande the main purpose of that facility on Bogmire IV?" Alexander quietly nodded as Deande straightened up a bit and listened as he started, slowly eating and moving the mask like it was his lifeline.  
"Bogmire IV was a arid landscape and ill-suited for active habitation for the United Peacekeeping Republics, however the commanding officers that took this mission decided to utilized the LLC's remaining fragments in the UPR." He straightened up as both leaders noticed his right eye having shifted to a line or string of data as he continued. "Mechanized Warfare selected amongst twenty-three different options, Gamma Corp created in effort to destroy joint force of Jennerit and Varelsi troops, however unaware of active plan among members to engage in blocking out solar star via a selection of..."

"Hey, focus." Ghalt snapped and Alexander returned, the string disappearing as he calmed down to the meek features. "The facility, what was its purpose for being there instead of Bogmire?"  
"Bogmire is known for... abnormal transformations. It was once a uncolonized planet until a UPR colony ship crashed there, it had undergone a series of transformations of the local populace that rendered them mutants, creatures, and other things that is not possible, not even in the slightest." It was at this point that Beatrice entered, both arms moving with ease and both leaders surprised to the fact that she had two arms now as she inquired, moving past the two at the frame.  
"But these transformations are experimental to the people or is it something else?" Alexander nodded a bit as she took a seat and he spoke.  
"I don't know in recent years, but the planet itself exerted a type of toxic fume that quickly changed humanoids into savage creatures of varying appearance, the Eldrid sent a small team to find out if they could bring the transformed colonists into the fold, but nothing could be done, some did join, but the Eldrid also were trapped on the planet before long, whatever happened to them is unknown for the moment, but the UPR forces believed that the planet was cursed and settled on Bogmire IV with a facility that functions as an underground complex, enough room and space for garrisons to be trained and stored, but into the cryogenic treatment for the surviving members, it has been the empty tomb that you described." Ghalt nodded and Beatrice hummed at the thought before Deande asked.  
"So there is possibility that some remnant of the colony may have also have been deserted or fostered in the shadows, we will need to collaborate with the factions to see if they can find some form of existence as Bogmire is the closest planet for the factions to hit up." The spymistress hummed as she stood up and went over her collected records. "I'll bring it up to the Jennerit Conclave and see if the Battleborn could look into the planet itself." She soon departed, but at the same time, Alexander stood up and headed away, his meal only half-finished and that hit a nail with Mellka as she sneered and pushed off, leaving the small gathering of people behind, Ghalt and Montana finally noticing when Beatrice debated something with them and left. The Red Observer fell into a swift march as she pursued the silent member, his walk solemn before she caught up and, without a thought, slammed him into the wall as she scowled.

"Look here, I don't give a damn about your dumb history, you pose an actual threat to the Battleborn, you are not walking off without a single word."  
"No, ma'am..." Alexander gasped as the bio-gauntlet into his gut.  
"Don't back sass me, you have stones and this is war, man up 'cause we don't have room for cowards, got it!?"  
"Yes, ma'am..." Another punch flew and slammed as Mellka growled, Ghalt slipping into the hallway as he yelled, Montana behind him.  
"Mellka, stand down, we can't be picky of our allies, you did the same with Deande when she joined, lay off!"

"Back off, Ghalt!" Mellka spared a glance to the First as she spoke. "Deande had a lot to make up, she played second fiddle to Rendain, but this chump is a blank, an unknown that we just decided to let on." Tusken choked a little as Mellka continued, none noticing the shift in eyes as they started to glow yellow. "It's only right that someone grills him over, got to make sure that he isn't hiding anything ELSE in his skull." Mellka pulled back and swung, but to the surprise of the trio, Tusken caught it and, with strength that belies his body, he twisted and Mellka clenched her teeth in pain and resistance when he spoke.  
"Unknown Attacker present, CQC active at level four." An elbow slammed into the holding Mellka and she drew back, knowing that he hit a pressure point from how her arm now felt numb and he dropped before delivering an uppercut to her jaw, the pain intense as she laid on the floor and he spoke. "Attacker crippled, proceeding in termination of subject." Before he could, Montana slammed into him and hoisted him in a bear hug as he started to speak as Ghalt got Mellka back up.  
"Chill, little buddy, Mellka was just..."  
"Titanic Attacker recognized, engaging active search protocol for options of escape." The struggle was real as Montana held tight to the increasing strength that Alexander was mustering all the sudden, Ghalt cluing in on what was happening and why Alexander was attacking.  
'He's depending on instinct and a built-in AI support to fight, Mellka must have driven him deep enough that it started to see us as threats, I have to snap him out of it.' He left Mellka against the wall as he spoke. "We got this, Mellka, don't strain yourself." He dashed forward as Mellka yelped for him to stop as he got in front of Montana as the giant was nearly at his limit when Ghalt spoke. "Alexander!" The struggle stopped and Ghalt looked into glowing yellow instead of radiant blue as he started. "I am disappointed in your management of emotions, you have to understand that Mellka was just looking out for the Battleborn, we have been through more than enough and we can't just suddenly decide NOW is the best time to go all rage on this ship, in this team." Montana looked surprised as the effort lessened as Alexander just looked at Ghalt. "I know that you don't have the training or the restraint as us, but believe me, not many of us heed well to orders or commands, so find it in your own heart to understand it from our eyes, in a new place and with no guarantees until we collect more data about this system." The yellow faded away as Tusken shook his head as he looked about.

"So... anyone else around that wants to wring my neck?" Ghalt chuckled a little as he added.  
"Unless you are Klesse, you should be safe... for the most part." Mellka sighed as she walked over and spoke again.  
"Look, I..." She groaned as she rubbed the back of her head as Alexander was lowered. "God, I don't often have to apologize, but Ghalt's right, you are okay, its just I have to be sure of whose my allies and friends and considering our first encounter, I guess I got something to establish."  
"Y-Yes, ma'am..." Mellka rested her hands on her hips as she commented with a smirk to the sluggish stance of attention.  
"At ease, kid." She smiled as she rubbed his head. "After all, if you are the guide, I guess we can call it even or maybe I would owe YOU a debt or something." She headed off as Ghalt and Montana watched her leave with Alexander before the First Battleborn spoke, turning back to the mech operator.

"With that done, I guess that, with her on your side, you have my approval to see this colony, but for further measures, I am going to need Thorn, Beatrice, and Benedict with you just to keep a wide range of details, is that clear, Tusken?"  
"Yes, Sir!" Alexander nodded as he headed off, a spring in his step for a bit before Montana asked.  
"You sure you want Bene on this mission, he's been..."  
"I know..." Ghalt grimaced a bit as he continued. "Benedict has been moody for the past few days and I am sure that it involves his lost family, but all I can do to give the wise-cracker some peace is let him fly about, I just hope that he has the mind to keep his mouth shut long enough for the mission to be completed." The mountain nodded as the ship hovered over Bogmire and launched its pods down to the planet's surface, special requirements given to the members at Alexander's behest...

* * *

The pod slammed hard into the murky waters and its door was slammed open when Alexander Tusken stomped out, in his mech before the other pods landed and out came the rest, the change being that each one were wearing masks built to resist the toxic fumes and atmosphere that caused the people to change into their new forms, if they were still alive. Beatrice hummed as she questioned, her Injector reattached for combat until she inquired for a possible combination of hand and weapon. "You were not kidding, the air here is reading on a higher level of toxicity than what I had experienced, this could make for some excellent experiments if I can encapsulate some of it."  
"I would prefer not being made into a spoiled egg here, little lady, ruffles too many of my good feathers." Benedict chuckled as he hoisted his rocket launcher and Thorn looked about before she smiled under the mask.  
"Many creatures roam these woods..." A hand lowered and generated an arrow as she notched it. "This will be an excellent hunting ground for the young of the Eldrid."  
"Cut the chatter, you guys." Mellka spoke as she readied her UPR machine pistol. "We have a mission here, to find out if there are any remaining on this planet and what else went on here, Tusken, can I trust in your guidance in this?" The mech raised its hands as jets of flames emitted from both and he spoke with swagger as the arms dropped.  
"Ready and willing, Mellka!" The mech stomped forward as the four followed, the pilot adding to the journey with details. "Based on landing, I have a brief understanding of where to go first, the UPR colonists rigged up comm towers to detect incoming predators and handle them with ease, that was before they were exposed to the foreign gas that seemed to bubble up from the tectonic plates beneath the ground, three layers of the plates themselves often made up for preventing earthquakes or world-cracking tumors."

"And you are sure that a comm tower is in this direction?" Mellka questioned as she slashed through the foliage, it being less hostile to Ekkunar's own as Alexander answered, his mech unimpeded in the plant life.  
"Certain, this comm tower is the Eclipse Tower, fashioned and titled for the sun shadowed over it every cycle and it is the first tower to the colony Minkula, titled for the founder and first-transformed member of the society." They plowed through with no sign of creatures or monsters before they came across the tower, its design that of UPR indeed, but Alexander hummed as he closed the distance and ran a metal hand over the base where claw tears and marks seared through the metal and riddled the tower itself like something vile. "This doesn't look good, the comm tower has been ravaged, but I don't recognize these markings, some sort of wolf beast."  
"Can you get it fixed up or are we just POACHED?" Benedict laughed as some of the members groaned as Alexander spoke.  
"Now I see where Circinae got that poor sense of humor." This shut Benedict quickly up as Alexander continued, heedless of what he even said as the other members were stunned of what he even said. "Getting it fixed is out of the question, but I can upload the basic layout and data to Nova for the Battleborn to sort through, the upload will take time, but what is a few seconds to a eternality of cryo sleep?" The machine hummed to his touch as the upload started, Mellka reacting quickly as she heard it, the howl of something else in the forest as Alexander commented, the interface coming online to the grid being filled with hostiles. "Heads up, we have incoming, I am not getting a reading off on them so prime yourselves."  
"Don't need to tell me twice, ready up, we need to defend Tusken until we can get that data up to Nova and get a layout of this place." She whipped out her pistol as the nock of arrow, the load of rocket, and the bubble of chemicals sounded before the attack began, the attackers swift as they sprinted on all fours, many falling in the first volley, Mellka swapping mags as the next wave descended and there were more, she grimacing as she fired and spiked one charging before tossing it to the side, Thorn and Beatrice having a more difficult time as needle and palm were not fast enough, but they suffered no injury as they moved to the back and Benedict, needing no telling, took to the air and circled as he riddled the ground in his rockets before firing his Boomsday rocket and clearing a sizable chuck out, that had another effect, it seemed, as the creatures dashed away and howled as they disappeared from sight, Mellka breathing as Alexander completed.

"Upload complete, all of our data is now updated with current terrain and history here." All nodded, even Benedict as he looked at his map without a single word, all finding it easy to move through and track possible threats as Mellka sheathed his gun and strolled over to a still-whole creature, Alexander joining her as he hauled the beast up, posing it against a standing tree and all looked at it. Whatever it was, it had large claws, its face protruded out like a wolf and it had no semblance of being anything else, but it was able to stand upright and attack like a unarmed feral person with the more disturbing fact being that it was slightly dressed in a torn up fabric of clothing and the others seemed to listen to those looking like the one before them as Alexander extended a hand and plucked off the tag of it and read it. "Minkula Settlement Colonist #370, UPR." He hummed as Benedict asked to the meaning.  
"Thing's got UPR on it, what the hell, they sure were feral for wearing something of the Republics, how do they even dress!?"  
"Intriguing..." Beatrice whispered as she walked over and looked across the body in wonderment before she spoke. "An autopsy could give me a valid reason as to the creature's behavior and manners, but we need to take it with us for a proper discovery." Mellka spoke differently as she pulled Beatrice back a bit.  
"Let's leave that to the retrieval team, we still need to find out more about this colony." Beatrice sighed at the loss of a research patient, but yielded as Mellka called it. "Ghalt, mind sending a retrieval team down to the comm tower, Beatrice wants to splice something that just attacked us."

 _"Got no problem with that, just make sure that she cleans up AFTER she is done, I don't want another crazy experiment roaming Nova."_  
"For your information, Captain, Cedric was NOT an experiment... he was a misled youth before his life."  
 _"Not going to fight you, Beatrice, but I would prefer that Nova not get messed up again, the heads and I had to sort it out when it got into the armory."_ The comm closed and most of them sighed as Alexander just looked in confusion before he prioritized the colony again.  
"If we head south from this location, we will make it to the colony in record time, if it is not fenced up already." All nodded as they followed the mech through, fighting through enlarged Swarmers that had long colonized in the planet itself and more of the wolf beasts before they arrived, the mech ripping open a wider hole in a mesh fencing and the group stepped in to find the colony ravaged and destroyed as Alexander grimaced deeply. "I had feared as much, this whole place has been razed and there is not one person still breathing here..." He looked about before Thorn paused, she glancing to the forest, her brow narrowing before her Arrow Volley were ready and she fired, the arrows bouncing before a whimper of several of such creatures sounded, the party turning as coming in as something different with a few of the wolf beasts surging after it, but couldn't get much as their oppression struck and ended them before a retreat could be called, the figure falling to the ground as Alexander stomped over and lifted it or him up, a young teen like him, but he was no longer an Aplian as his left arm were turned into the same limb of those wolf beasts with legs and tail to follow suit, his uniform torn and ripped as his breathing was huffed and sluggish as Beatrice checked him over before she spoke.  
"I need my table to operate and assess, come on, the next team can check out this place for us, we have a layout, they will be okay, as long as they don't breath in this fume." Alexander nodded in the mech as he lifted, a large claymore with a barrel attached to the hilt hanging off the youth as Nova landed and retrieved the team, purging them of the toxic fumes before ISIC, Caldarius, Phoebe, Montana, and Pendles embarked out to search the colony while the first team got in and took to the recovery from the short, but still dangerous mission...

* * *

Beatrice worked as she opened up the wolf thing, pleased at least that it was still dead as Alexander watched with Miko, the Jennerit working swiftly as she detailed the effects and hummed as she stepped down with words on the mind. "Subject appears to have a similar biology to human members, but the difference is clear that exposure to this 'toxic' fog had slowly turned this one primal, a average beast of instinct, I'm afraid."  
"What of the neural cortex?" Alexander asked as he motioned with a metal hand. "Had this agent also have regressed the subject to a canine type of mentality, its moves and commands out there shows that it relied on a pack mentality."  
"Indeed, but unlike the Thralls, these creatures depend on a 'den', clearly someplace in the wilds that feels more home to them than the colony structures, some trace of Eldrid also seems to be evident to the small settlement, but nothing concrete to the notion." Beatrice hummed as Miko took over and worked as Beatrice washed up and walked with Alexander as both debated the idea. "While this shouldn't concern us too much, it makes me think that, maybe, the colonists were slowly reverted to a feral state of mind and our 'latest' recruit would yield knowledge for us to understand, but he will require someone of like stature to themselves." Alexander nodded as it was clear where he would have gone, but before anyone could do anything about it, Reyna suddenly declared him a new member of the Rogues and, considering the likelihood of him surviving the misfit band of bands and rebels was somehow slim and Alexander was seen, by Beatrice, Ghalt, and Deande, to be the only one to approach him while the rest are not likely as they were new faces, not the needed presence for the unconscious youth who rested in the infirmary next door as both stopped and Beatrice spoke. "Take care and don't mess this up."  
"I may not know all the Battleborn yet, but don't fault me like I am going to encourage fault in myself and others." He entered and walked over, the youth resting before the tail started to wag and two different-colored eyes looked at him, an orange iris and a green eye as his voice, husky from both the transformation and his own growth, came out.  
"Where am I and who are you...?"

"Well, that could take a while to explain..." Alexander spoke as he sat down in a chair pulled up. "...But know this, you were saved from those creatures on Bogmire, you don't have to trust us, but at least grant us the chance to know fully of what is going on, you are in no condition to continue the fight against whatever and I would hardly drag you in if you are not ready yet, but first would be your name." Tusken tilted his head as he continued. "I am Tusken, I will not use my full name until it is clear that you are I are on good terms, now what is yours?" The half-breed looked to the side before he groaned and turned back with his line.  
"I am Kent Drake and I am part-human and part-Caninant, here's what I know..." Like that, they shared tales and exchanged information, more than enough for the operator to get a full grip on what was going on...


	6. C4: Benedict's Discovery

_Chapter 4: Benedict's Discovery_

* * *

It was not the error of something else going wrong as Alexander looked over the data and pondered it over as he worked on his mech with ease, heedless of the door opening and ignored the possible guest before he reached over to grab a fusion cutter and paused, searching a bit more before a melodic voice spoke. "Looking for this?" He turned and there stood a crowning member of the Last Light Consortium or LLC, the renowned engineer Phoebe Elizabeth Audelia Hemsworth IV or just Phoebe among the Battleborn, smiling lightly as she held the cutter in hand and he reached for her to pull it back as she continued. "Ah ah ah, I am not giving it back until you either answered my question or you meet with Deande, I heard that you left her with a partial report."  
"Hardly worth the time right now, I just want to be left alone a bit here, now if you would kindly..." He reached again, but she twirled away as he dropped, landing on the floor when one of the cords caught his foot in taking the single step, he lightly groaning as he tapped a finger on the floor of the engineering bay as Phoebe got low to speak.  
"Then you have time to answer my question, then you can have it back." Her face still lit with the smile like this was a game that she had won as Alexander got up and dusted himself off before tending to his mech once more. He remained quiet as he tinkered with the parts that he could work with when she asked. "You say that you used a portion of LLC tech to make this suit of armor and many others, but I would like to hear who provided the tech prior and left it to the UPR." Phoebe frowned as Alexander remained silent, leaving the heiress of the Hemsworth family to lightly sigh as she put the tool down and continued. "I understand that this is a... tough subject to speak of, but the least you could do is..."  
"The least you could do is leave, I don't have to tell you anything..." Tusken mused as he finished and snatched the cutter, putting it to work. "If you want to know, get Deande to ask about it, I... can't trust anyone from the LLC with this knowledge." Phoebe didn't argue the matter as she curtsied a bit and departed, the door closing as she walked through the halls, pondering why he would say such a thing, the tech for such a mechanical armor was decades older, but more steady than what Kleese could manage, even with ISIC, her thoughts surging with ideas of subterfuge, of treason, and of turncoats if they couldn't get how the machine works, how it is adapted, and how it was custom-tailored to him, she herself had a go and the encoding locks and decryptions were tougher than she had expected, even Kleese was stumped and he is often the machine brained one in the first place. She looked up to find the one person that could help, her attire the same with a more violet color, the 'Dark Ops' appearance she believed she heard it called as she floated on over and spoke.  
"Deande, may I inquire a moment of your time?"

"Of course, Phoebe Hemsworth." Deande smiled as she checked off something and flickered the pen back into her hair, the fan closing as she looked at the heiress. "Let me guess, Alexander Tusken has brushed you off?"  
"He doesn't seem too interested." The two headed on as Deande lead the way to her office. "He is sealed himself in the bay and has been working day and night ever since we obtained those files from the colony, he looked quite... winded than I want to believe, he has been here and there and hardly wishing to join us, I fear that in his own isolation, he will come to despise us."  
"I see..." Truth be told, Deande was also concerned, if Alexander dropped low and started to drive himself into a wedge, they could be looking at a possible breach of code, loyalty, and hope for he would have the know-how about the system, despite how much it has changed and they still haven't discovered whatever caused the star to return, Solus was saved by their efforts and the half-baked completion of the Heliophage and Deande herself could actually attest to the fact that the darkened stars were indeed devoured in the shadows, but the Varelsi show no interest in killing off the stars themselves, more like siphoning off energy from the bodies and continuing to create a invasion force or a large army to repel something... else in the darker reaches of the universe. She wondered it, did the Varelsi fear something beyond their domain, something much more than simple heroes in a defense for their star? She shook her head to the thought that was unproven through far and spoke. "Well, I do have time to fit him in, but if he draws back, I will need aid to coax him back out." Phoebe nodded as the spymistress headed off, first to arrange a small meeting with the pilot and to sort through some questions that she could obtain in the long run of the meeting...

* * *

 **Official Transcript of former spymaster of the Jennerit Imperium, Deande, and Alexander Tusken, UPR mech operator, part II**

 **(Shift of metal before hiss and light steps as Deande started)** **Deande:** Thank you for coming back, I had hoped that you would be more... willing to talk, if it is not too much trouble.  
 **Alexander:** It... isn't a problem as of the moment, Ma'am.  
 **Deande:** Yes, well, I understand that a few of the crew and members have been granting you a difficult time, so much has changed for you and I am concerned, along with a few others, that you may be growing to... dislike our company.  
 **Alexander:** If I was... unhappy with the Battleborn, I would have... said something against it, but no, it isn't against you at all... **(A light sigh came as Alexander continued to explain, Deande writing things down)** I have gotten use to the _Nova_ , if I would like to be... honest, but I am now concerned, it has a few things to do with... Kent's own share of the data.  
 **Deande:** I heard that he would be pulled into the Rogues, clearly Reyna has an interest in him.

 **Alexander:** Yeah, good luck to him in fitting into a band of misfits from Solus, the only star so far that has remained live, but I can't pass that judgement as I haven't never been to the star and its collection of worlds. **(Deande hummed as Alexander paused before continuing)** I have fought the Varelsi and I have seen what happens to the stars taken, they are not gone, instead they are functioning as living batteries, rotated to ensure a full hold and use, worlds destroyed are not devoured either, they are used as 'substations'.  
 **Deande:** Ahhh, so the Varelsi are using a biological system of energy collection, the stars their fuel and the ruined worlds ley lines to those sources.  
 **Alexander:** Indeed, nothing is... proven to the fact, but that can be debated on a... better date, correct?  
 **Deande:** Yes, we can talk about them later, we are here to talk about you and your gear, call it... an 'intervention'.  
 **Alexander:** That's... sounds dangerous and scary, but here I am, so I am going to have to roll with it...

 **Deande:** My apologizes, but Phoebe is VERY intent about it and I have wondered the same as to the maker of the armor and frame.  
 **Alexander:** My... grandfather... **(Writing ceased as moments passed before Alexander continued)** My grandfather was the original maker of the Exoframe armor that I use to this day, he left a sizable amount of data in the armor for me to draw upon, DNA-coded sadly, he split from the LLC for the advancement, but he never said what it was for before I was sealed up... in the armor, he saved my life...  
 **Deande:** Oh... I am so sorry, no wonder...  
 **Alexander:** It's okay... he wouldn't want me moping either. **(Deep huff in the mask as it continued)** I can tell you his name, when he was a LLC official, his name was Vonstani Lanceton Agriese Dax the _Third_.  
 **Deande:** Um... did you just roll your tongue to the name?

 **Alexander:** He wanted it said that way, made a lot of chats weird, but he was weird like that. He was the ecstatic grandpa in a family of notable engineers and geniuses, but what he did had people involved, he wanted his family to survive long after and through the threat of the Darkening, but it was a vain wish, one that he wished so deeply...  
 **Deande:** It's... more than I expected, did you not feel like keeping it to yourself?  
 **Alexander:** That's the thing... He's gone, leaving me with his whole collection of knowledge in both mind and machine. I am the sole member remaining and... it is my choice to tell, it has been too long and has to come out now, better than never. **(A light sniffle came and a mechanized voice cleared)** Oh, when did I start to cry...? **(Standing up and the machine shifted with the deep voice as door opened)** I thank you, Miss Deande, I better be on my way.  
 **Deande:** Alexander... Alexander, wait! **(Door closed and she sighed as she mused)** He is more fragmented than I had guessed, he needs a mainstay to show him... that he is not alone...

* * *

Benedict fiddled with his rocket launcher as he pondered what the runt said, how did he know, who does he think he is...?! Benedict's blood started to boil once more as he snarled, the tempting choice of wringing the kid's throat was WELL in his mind, but he slowed his breathing and thoughts to think more reasonable, he knew what happened to her and he knew where she could be as the one-winged Aviant rolled his head, rubbing the back with it before he put the launcher down and headed into the halls, pausing as he spotted the walking dreadnought passing him by with the sound of... crying? He turned as he spoke. "Did Deande get into your head, kid, that's what she..."  
"Yes... I am aware..." Alexander spoke as he continued, heedless somehow to Benedict's presence. "I just need... to clean out my filters, can't be a able soldier with sealed parts." Benedict pondered the first course, but he shoved it to the backroads as he asked, following the mech to the armory where the pilot got out and he could see a different sorrow, a... familiar pain as the mask came away and he worked, the filters and parts being cleaned up and the hawk was not certain what to do about it as Alexander continued. "I suspect that foreclosure is the best thing to ask for, but I am not ready to admit it in public, even private has my voice and heart halting in sorrow to my past and what I have become."  
"Well, you do look terrible, maybe even..."  
"Soft-boiled... yeah, she often said that..." Benedict clicked and he gripped his claws tight, the reason boiling back up. "She's here, somewhere in this wide system, just... it has been a while since I heard her tough yet gentle voice, her jack-of-spades attitude, and the chirp of her hatchlings, you were mentioned a number of times..." The mask didn't return as he gasped in grief and he tried in vain to clear the emotions away. "My apologies, it has been too long and my emotions are frayed a bit." His hands rested on the mask and he bent over, touching his forehead to the material as he just tried to breathed in the air, it suffocating him in its touch. "I... I just can't..."  
"Bullshit, you big crybaby." Benedict hissed, kicking himself, but he didn't still the tongue as he continued to criticize Alexander. "You expect me to believe that 'you just can't' what, that you could share what you had on mind with the rest of us!" Alexander stopped and straightened up, the hands holding the mask holding it as the Aviant didn't stop. "Weak, you want to be a Battleborn, get in the back and let the real fighters handle this battle while you cry your meek, little butt off, you are no one, you are just a idiot who THINKS he knows!" The grip tightened before it was moved to the mouth once more. "And you know what, I am in MY right mind to claw your eyes out for daring to speak her name to ME!" What Benedict was not expecting was a solid punch into his face when he closed the distance in anger, his senses coming back as he was hurled into the distant wall and he looked up with a cracked jaw to a vision of blue and yellow with tears streaming down.

"She was right, you are an ass..."

* * *

Thorn and Montana headed down to the armory to tamper with some of their gear when the sound of battle echoed and they dashed for the armory, just as Benedict was thrown, or better seen sent hurtling, out of the armory, the mountain catching his birded ally, Thorn looking to find Alexander, his eyes yellow and blue with tears flowing over the metal, as he slammed the console and the door slammed shut before turning a deep red, Thorn dashing over to open it as she shouted in her vain attempt to open it, forgoing the console. "Tusken, you better open this door or so help me, you will wish to be in your armor right now!" She grunted as she continued to try as Montana spoke.  
"Benny, snap out of it, man." the giant lightly slapped the bird and that got the hawk awake again as he groaned. "What did you do, Ben?"  
"I... I made him snap..." Benedict sighed as he lightly pulled himself up with Montana's aid. "He was talking a-a-and I snapped at him, about Circinae, and before I knew it, I was against the wall, he towering over before the beatdown of the century..." He nearly toppled as he continued. "I-I-I was not thinking, my emotions were boiling at his mention a-and I wasn't thinking..."  
"Think later, help me get this blasted door open!" Both UPR members rushed over and easily pried the door open and rushed in, the level of destruction great as weapons and armors laid scattered, tools and materials flung about with some lodged in the alloy, but no sign of Alexander, that was before Nova's voice spoke, in the same tone that Alexander used by accident.  
"MAGNUS OVERRIDE ZERO-FOUR, LAUNCHING ESCAPE POD." They dashed to the back where the excess drop pods were stored before later missions, to see one soar away into the void and Benedict sighed with his busted ego and body.

"Yep, Captain's going to kill me, big time... I just caused our guide to snap and leave..."


	7. C5: Reunion on Thrista

_Chapter 5: Reunion on Thrista_

* * *

The room was quiet and none spoke, but Benedict knew the looks, long into his own training. Mellka looked ready to rip his head off with a sneer, Deande fanned herself, but nothing could hide that aura of silent death that hung on her, Kleese was disappointed (He REALLY didn't think that he could have gotten Kleese to be disappointed in him), and Reyna was polishing her pistol, a clear sign that she was ready to quickdraw that piece and put a bullet in his head for it, but Ghalt was the most challenging, he had knew Ghalt times over and he was thrown off by the humble, quiet treatment that his commanding officer was giving him, it made him more at fault than before, that Ghalt was quiet instead of shouting, he would have welcomed that from such a devoted commander. Montana and Thorn looked at each other before back at the room before Deande snapped, her fan closing as she breathed, not in anger, but a calm diameter. "Now, Benedict, it is clear you need to be the second in my session of therapy, but that can wait, we need all the help we can get in finding Alexander and getting him back on the Battleborn, his knowledge and experience in Arron is the most valuable we can obtain, the factions are... in deep." The display in the center turned on and she motioned with furrowed brow. "With the surge of the factions, they have come into confrontation with Varelsi, problem is that they are using warships, a strategy that is unheard of in all of the history of the factions." Reyna spoke next as she stopped the polishing, though the pistol remained out.  
"The problem isn't strength and defense as some of these are derelict vessels lost among the stars, but it is in numbers, they can swarm without remorse and, while none of them have taken any deaths, the factions are in trouble, especially with a local planet close by." The display changed to a more aquatic world that surprised the majority of members there, but Reyna continued, clearing her throat. "This is the planet that the Varelsi are attacking, a mostly-covered aquatic world with a number of rocky crags emerging from the oceans themselves and reach to heights that could term them as mountains." She hummed as she motioned a hand to the side to something flashing on one of the crags. "Hey, Kleese, what's up with the marker?"  
"I didn't put that there..." The elderly man spoke as he started to work, the area zoomed in as he spoke. "This sort of signal is on a frequency that I am familiar with, however. In case of any Battleborn shot off course, I could activate the pod's transmitter to have Nova pick them up and bring them back." The group paused to the meaning before Benedict spoke, clearing his throat as he answered, the looks not helping his standing.  
"So... Alexander is on that planet right now, and don't realize that the... beacon came 'live?"  
"Well, that's just... lucky or something." Mellka mused as she lightly sighed. "Just means that Benny can get a few more shots in, right?" Benedict swallowed to the meaning, but he was saved by Ghalt, finally breaking the silence.

"I am sure that Benedict didn't think of the situation as a trigger. Hell, I didn't think it was a trigger either, but what he shared with Deande and is secretive about right now may have set him off and he just snap." Mellka eased up as Ghalt spoke. "That being said, getting a launch pod to hit that crag and stay there long enough for any Battleborn to get out and on is going to be impossible. I'm afraid that Benedict is going to have to take this mission on with others."  
"WHA?" Benedict squawked before he cleared again and spoke. "B-But, guys, he HATES me, I am going to be the last person he WANTS to see!"  
"I know, Benedict." Ghalt sighed and all were quiet as he unloaded somewhat. "And I am not too interested in letting the pair of you get back together and resorting to violence to solve this, but we are short on able flyers, the factions need time to fight back with ease against the Varelsi, and only a few Battleborn can get there on one of the crafts provided, leaving only a short response team to engage and provide aid to whoever or whatever is on the planet and to turn the Varelsi surge back." The Aviant looked around for any objections to the idea, anyone will do, but nothing which meant that he was the sole responder on hand and he was conscripted for it, like or not. His heart soared with thank as Ghalt continued. "So the team will be Benedict, Caldarius, and Toby to go in, find out, and come back... if there are no other problems."  
"Yeah, yeah, I still want some FRIED bird for that stunt." Mellka mused and Benedict didn't have a wisecracker for the situation, positive that it would just make things worse, though that was going to be impossible as he listed the reasons; One, Mellka, after learning that the bird had upset their source of info and caused him to leave, she nearly bashed his brains out... repeatedly... with the butt of her TMP if not for the aid of Montana. Two, Deande made it a personal note to therapy his feathers off and he was sure that she had discovered his letter and request, as well as his severe drinking habits related to the matter in both. And the last one, he had managed to go from team clown to target with big, fat bullseye on his back, Beatrice in general had it out for him and he had SEEN her work, it was going to be a mess in the end if he didn't redeem himself, help Alexander out, and get on the kid's GOOD side, that could save his tail from harm... maybe...

* * *

Benedict breathed as he felt the zoom of his pod barrel for the world below, the Varelsi distracted with a combined offense by Jennerit and UPR forces which is very successful, while the Battleborn helped in repelling the creatures and sending the three down, his pod mostly empty except a pic of his wife, plucking it off and looking it over, her raven cresses, her glowing smile, and her radiant red of eyes, it has been ten, maybe twelve, hell, even fifteen years since that day and he still lingered, his invisible heart, his great courage, she made him more than just an mouth without a filter, she made him into a soldier in love. He thudded his head on the wall as he groaned, he missed how much time and his two youngest wouldn't even know him if he appeared... would Circinae even want to see him after what he had just done? Deep down, he knew that she would just hate him for it, but he couldn't dismiss the thought that he was also feeling snapped and just gave nothing about his own feelings about it. He snapped out of it when Toby spoke. "Hey, Ben, wake up, we are coming close."  
"Yeah... yeah, I just needed a moment to myself." He pocketed the photo for it was the one thing he didn't want to part with when he recalled Circinae, and readied his rocket launcher, his muscles bracing before the hatch popped off and he took flight, the pod soaring to the crag's rocky base and slammed, the Aviant lucky to have jumped as a mech and a assault frame joined him and they flew true, heading for the beacon before they landed and Toby groaned a little at the state of the pod, modified here and there somehow to fly Alexander to this world.  
"Well... If the Cap didn't grab the wolf guy and Tusks was willing to join, I think... he could make it as a Rogue."  
"You sound LESS pleased with the thought, penguin." Caldarius stated as the penguin made a motion that told Benedict that he was mouthing off and moving a flipper to give another mouth as a metal hand slid across the pod. "He leaves the pod and headed elsewhere, but why this world? I am curious as to the thought."  
"Well..." Benedict shook him from the doubt that he felt and spoke. "The bugger couldn't have gone too far, he landed here and there is no nearby rocks for him to jump and land on." Both nodded slowly as the UPR bird lead the way, the treks light in the grime and dirt for the mech's weight and size, but easy to follow as the trio headed off, the surface surprisingly stable for a jolting mount of stone and rock. Soon the sounds of combat filled their ears and they hurried to the midst of a battlefield where Varelsi tried to kill something, but that something was too powerful for them, not even a Conservator was stronger enough to it as the metal clamps slammed before snatching its face and ripping it from the ink-like body, the mask and fading head dropping to the ground as Benedict slowly walked over, quickly finding his throat snatched and he lifted as the nozzle under the other hand ignited and he felt his life at the mercy of the mech with both of the other Battleborn shocked before they could bring up their weapons to disable, the voice coming out with some venom.  
"WHAT are you doing here!?" Benedict gripped the clasp as he slightly struggled, his breathing getting shorter if he didn't stop the metal from crushing.  
"Look, I know that it is my fault, just listen..." Nothing else came as Benedict was slammed into the ground with a gasp as Alexander continued, Cal and Toby drawing closer to put him down if it got too violent.

"You know EXACTLY what you were doing, you were never interested in shutting up, you WANTED to talk down to me and call me out as a coward, a weakling, and you have no right to beg for it if you came this far." Benedict was quickly as he plead.  
"I did it because I was angry!" The mech paused with the colored eyes or lens remaining. "I was upset, okay, you were talking about her and I was so angry with you, you knew what happened to her and I just couldn't stand it, the last time I saw her, she was on a shuttle with our hatchlings to escape, I bleed and I would die for her if I had known what happened to them, I would fight with everything for avenge of their deaths and I would search the cosmos to find them alive again, just please... I was upset..." The weapons powered down as Benedict looked to the side with tears clouding his eyes. "I was wrong, you are better than me, whatever was said, you have the higher ground than me and I would submit myself to your punishment, just please... tell me before you kill me..." He looked forward again with closed eyes. "Was I that terrible of a mate and father in her talks with you...?" The fist coiled back before lashing out, Caldarius and Toby yelping for him to stop before the fist impacted... smashing the mask beside Benedict's head as Alex spoke, the yellow fading back to blue.  
"No, you were the best and she told stories about you all the time, your hatchlings may not know you all that much, but she filled in the gaps for them, that you are a mouth without a filter and a heart of gold, your sense of duty saved them and they often fell asleep to your tales of valor." The fist rose and released as the holding one released Benedict from its grasp as Alexander continued. "And right now, I am here to save them and the two hundred other natives on this planet, the Varelsi accidently stirred up the Maelstrom and we only have twenty minutes to get them off this planet." To this, Toby asked with confusion within Berg.  
"The Maelstrom?" Alex turned as he spoke.

"This planet was secured by weather controls, but the Varelsi destroyed one and the storm of acid rain is coming, but it is not the acid in those clouds, stored up from resources, fumes, and chemicals in the settlements on this world." He pointed out to the water as he continued. "It's the water itself, it is alive and if it is threatened by any harmful weather, it will purge itself in a world-spread torrent of water, water so dangerous and boiling that any flesh will burn and any metal will overheat." The trio felt their eyes widen at the sound of it as Alexander finished. "We have a short time frame before that and I can assure you... we don't get to the settlement and evacuate it now, those lives are gone, the settlement is not built to protect against the Maelstrom." Benedict quickly snatched his launcher and shouldered it as he shouted.  
"Well, what are we waiting for, let's get rid of some Varelsi!" Toby and Caldarius nodded as Alexander followed as the bulkhead of the assault, their charge blasting through the Varelsi before they reached the walls of the settlement, the towering spires secondary as homes of Avian or rock-climbing creatures as the gate opened up and they quickly entered as it closed back up and Benedict faltered at the sight before him, a militia of likewise creatures faced them with their leader the same raven-feathered sweetheart that he fell in love with, she doing the same before he spoke. "Circinae..." The small rifle dropped before a fist clashed with his face and he mused. "...I deserve that, don't I...?"  
"You think!?" Circinae lightly screeched before she breathed. "Bene, it has been several years since we talked, hell even looked at each other and I hear from a long distance message that you not only joined up with Captain Ghalt on some crazy crusade, but that you ALSO shunned out your own members?!"  
"Look, I'm sorry..." Benedict started as he rubbed his jaw, gods it felt good to get hit like that, especially from his wife. "I was upset with him and I had an issue with it all this time that you were gone, our kids were gone, and I was angry and upset that I wouldn't be able to find you again!" He looked down as he spoke once more. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hurt them, I was... upset." Circinae paused before she sighed, gripped his armor, and pulled him into a kiss as the defenders lowered their weapons, Berg's arms raised to block out Toby's vision as he yelped to see, Caldarius turned away with a short cough as Alexander stood solemnly before Circinae released and spoke.  
"It's good to hear that you are still alive and breathing, though I didn't expect a rescue mission or a capture from you, Ghalt REALLY must not have liked your own behavior about it." Benedict was left stammering as she turned to Alexander. "So, what's the damage, kid?"

"Bad, the Varelsi hit hard and destroyed one of the atmospheric weather machines, the storm is starting to kick up and we have only twenty, maybe fifteen minutes remaining to clear out." Circinae grimaced as she bit her nail.  
"I was afraid of that..." She whipped about and called out. "EVERYONE, MOUNT UP AND GET READY FOR EVCAUATION, THE MAELSTROM IS COMING!" This sent a panic through the settlement as everyone started to pack up and Circinae turned as she spoke. "Ghalt is going to have to deal with this lot before we settle again, we'll talk later, for now, keep the Varelsi off our backs, our transports will need five minutes to spool up." She dashed off as Toby tapped Benedict out of his stupor and Alexander spoke as he brought a display of the geographic map.  
"The Varelsi can't get too close to the settlement, but they can sure hit the walls with everything they have, we defend them from the southern side and we can save those shuttles from the wrath of the void, move it, guys!" That went without saying as the four members charged over and repelled the advancing forces that came at them, the standard stock before something huge charged and crashed into the walls, the stone and material holding strong, but not for long as Toby screamed.  
"What the fudge is that!?"  
"A Colossi! We are out of time!" Alexander shouted as he barraged the monster with fireballs as he shouted in the interior. "Cir, we have a Colossi, get those ships in the air NOW!"

 _"Buy us time please, Alexander, the shuttles are almost all out of here!"_ Alexander groaned as he continued in his commanding.  
"Lodge your shots in the limbs, that will slow the behemoth down long enough, move it!" Toby was the more effective as his railgun dealt both serious damage and slowed the beast down long enough that the settlement was well cleared as the Nova zoomed in and landed before Ghalt shouted.  
"Get your butts in here, something is going on with the planet's oceans!" The four rushed onboard and it took off as the beast roared a shattering bellow before the whole crew and party watched as the world shifted from crags to severe surges of oceans and water, they even watched as the minorly-wounded monster was suddenly ripped apart by cascades of liquids, its flesh fraying to the onslaught and its massive mask the last thing to be destroyed as the Nova left the atmosphere and headed for Bogmire IV, the shuttles following suit as the fleets withdrew, the Varelsi destroyed for the time being...

* * *

The crew on the Nova all decided to step off the ship and get some 'shore leave' on the arid world, the base cleared up some as the residents settled in as the majority of the Battleborn spread out and rested for the most part as the leaders and the agents of the recent mission met in the main meeting room and Ghalt breathed as he stared. "So BESIDES the fact that we found Benedict's wife, her kids, and a whole colony of people on a raging world of water, can I get some intel on the planet in question before I hear any more of Benedict's sudden interest in lovey-dovey poems?" Benedict made the notion to stick out his tongue before Alexander spoke, having taken some time to resolve himself and breathe.  
"The planet is Thrista, a single planet with a series of four moons." All straightened up as Alex continued. "It is livable, but the weather is going to be chaotic from the long-term effects of prior colonized efforts, the oceans below the crags possess a active system to destroy any harmful 'diseases' that seek to pervert its native existence." Alex continued as her motioned to the world and its orbiting bodies. "Named the 'Maelstrom', this system can suddenly surge itself high into the sky and destroy everything in-between that course, that is why the earlier colonists built orbital stations to absorb the dangerous effects and dangers that could cause the Maelstrom, the Varelsi having destroyed one and it, in turn, has killed the planet again, it will be days, even weeks before that surge calms down and Thrista is colonized again, the people are quite hardy, but the real issue is this..." Alexander pulled up the behemoth that struck the wall and Deande frowned her brow as she asked.  
"Forgive my interest, but what in the name of the Empress is that thing!?"  
"That... is a Colossi." Alexander spoke as he explained. "That 'thing' is known as a Prime Varelsi, a Varelsi that other Varelsi collect around like it is a hive and they its workers and soldiers." All shifted in discomfort as Alex continued. "Normally docile, they don't seek to destroy anything until their own blood, their own kin is destroyed and killed off, it is a protective monster that was credited to destroying the planet of Cirnia, a planet in the distant system of Nox when the UPR, in its blind nature, colonized and fought back against the Varelsi in vain pride."  
"Cirnia!?" Ghalt sprung up as Mellka quickly asked in the same tone.

"You know the planet, Cap?!"  
"I know the planet..." Ghalt sat back down as he explained. "The UPR called it a 'failure' to colonize and wrote it off as the Varelsi attacking and destroying the planet with all hands on the world, but to know the real fate of the planet, how powerful is this beast!?"  
"It is very deadly when it is provoked." Alexander rested his hands on the table. "The beast we fought at the gate was a preteen, in its mid growth, the real danger to these things is that it will root itself into the planet and devour the core of the planet with its own life." All sat in shocked silence as Alexander finished. "They are not common with that, they are a last resort to keep worlds to themselves. That is why you have never seen one in your lives, they are needles in a galactic haystack." Reyna spoke next as he demanded.  
"So how did you kill it!?"  
"I never did..." Alex mused as he crossed his arms. "But, The UPR positioned here, blind as they were, did the same last-ditch effort to prevent their worlds from being devoured by the Varelsi. They cooperated with LLC members, Eldrid cults, and some Jennerit plans to seal off the Star of Arron, hide it in the shadows of a Darkening, we called it Eclipse." All stood up before Deande spoke with shock.

"Darken the Star!? Were they mad!?"  
"They should have been..." Alex answered as he opened his eyes. "But the plan worked and we all settled in the shadows, hiding in the darkness to keep the Varelsi guessing, learning how the Varelsi worked in that semi-dark realm, and preventing them or their Jennerit allies from finding and exploiting the Star for their own interests." The blue eyes opened once more as the mask huffed and puffed. "I was still in cryo with my mind extending out as a precaution of preventing others from evading the Star and heading into a Varelsi attack, Circinae and her people were the same with that she connected to me as a stable to keep going, to keep believing, when we watched the Star of Solus fade out before returning, we felt... some glee that somehow, the advance was cut down and that the people of the world could save us from our troubles... Too bad it was only Rendain killed in that action." Caldarius spoke as he asked.  
"Only? He was the mastermind behind all of it, he sold us out for the chance to save only the select few from the dark...!"  
"A blind hope and one that cost him his own life and soul... if he hasn't already died in the void." Alexander straightened up as he continued. "Yes, Rendain was the core of it all, but Arron's Eclipse was meant for another few decades, the fact that it has fallen is foreboding and Kent's information happened to open up the danger." Mellka asked in her inquire.  
"What danger...?" Alex looked up and spoke.

"Lev Yen Tau, former high priestess and crazed devote to Rendain, has gotten free and she has destroyed the Eclipse's Pyramid Safeguards, efficiently shattering the veil of Darkening over Arron." Deande suddenly jumped as she shouted.  
"Lev Yen Tau died when Rendain overthrew the Empress, how the hell is she still alive, she died right in front of me when Rendain killed her right then for raising protest!"  
"That was a façade..." Alexander looked to the Spymistress and he spoke. "The collective factions within and myself looked over the records when she appeared and we were too close to her plans, she was leashed to Rendain's will through a form of Varelsi control, an early one that had shattered her mind into believing that Rendain was the righteous ruler and that the Empress was the usurper of the throne..." Deande sneered as Alex finished. "Now she is free, left insane and collared to the Varelsi as she intends to find the remaining safeguards, destroy them, and then open a portal to Varelsi space on a galactic scale, throwing her own life away to drown this one in the pure Darkening." All were silent before Mellka spoke up.  
"How do we stop her...?" Alex nodded as he pulled up another image, the Pyramid Safeguard that he was talking about.  
"The Safeguards are laced into the planets we had colonized, one is intended to be here, within this very base as the spire on Bogmire itself was the first and the opening of the plan." He trailed out his finger across the galaxy as he point each one out with questions. "Each one is a relic from a bygone age of Aztanti existence and we will required an experienced hand to find and discover where the Pyramids are now as no one knows now where they are, only that they preserve the barrier that shields us from extensive Varelsi attack and madden Jennerit raids, I express a sense of caution... Lev Yen is not of sound mind, her devotion now to her fallen lord..."


End file.
